Speckled Feathers
by InuShinigami
Summary: Life never turns out the way you plan. Once magic finds you, you can never forget it, for it will never let you forget. It follows you through fate, marking you as one of the chosen few to witness what destiny had planned. You can only hop down the rabbit hole and hope for the best.
1. The Guide

**Author's Note: Hello all! So, basically, I've had a little love for the Labyrinth for a while now, and I've always wanted to write a story for it but could never settle on a plot. Finally, I have, and I've decided to give it a go. Hope you all like it! The chapters will be kind of short at first, but they will soon get longer as the story progresses.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth.**

 **Chapter 1: The Guide.**

Battles won and stories told, many years had passed since the Labyrinth had been defeated.

The young woman-child who held the Goblin King's affection remained true to herself, through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered. She fought her way to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child which was stolen. For her will was as strong as his and her kingdom as great…

With one sentence, she defeated the powerful Fae king at his own game.

"You have no power over me."

The right words spoken, and she found herself home again, back in her normal life yet with new friends and lessons that trailed with her into adulthood. She grew into a woman worthy of respect and did her best to instill the lessons she learned into others. Those who knew her felt no surprise when she decided to become a teacher.

So, the woman-child grew into a true woman. She lived and learned and loved, she became a person to admire. With a husband and child of her own, she felt content in her new life. Not that she forgot her old life. Occasionally, she would give into her childish fancies, pulling out her old trunks of dresses and scripts, reminiscing on days when fantasies and fariytales filled her head. Also, a ravenous need had been grown to learn anything and everything about the Fae. What started as a means to prepare herself for possible future confrontations turned into an interesting hobby for the former runner of the Labyrinth.

She also grew a healthy wariness about her. Whether it be a careful eye for missing objects—to which she would blame on goblins to her husband with a light tone but serious eyes—or a great disdain for anything peach related —she had banned the fruit and anything scented like it from the house—, nothing worried her more than _words_.

Words were powerful. She never said I wish. She would stop mid-sentence occasionally to reword a sentence just to avoid the word. She also took great care about declaring things fair or not. Often times, she would speak of how life simply was not fair, and just as often, her husband found her speaking of this not to someone, but simply to herself.

He just brushed this aside as one of the many quirks of what makes Sarah, _Sarah._

Still, despite all of this, life never turns out the way you plan. Once magic finds you, you can never forget it, for it will never let you forget. It follows you through fate, marking you as one of the chosen few to witness what destiny had planned. And though Sarah ran the Labyrinth, though she defeated the Goblin King, though she learned her lessons and remembered them well, she is no longer the heroine of the story.

Fate was not done with her yet, however.

Fate's newest heroine still needed a guide.


	2. The New Runner

**Author's Note: Hi! So, umm, didn't think I would need to say this since I marked the pairing in the description, but due to some PMs, I guess I need to reiterate a point: this** ** _is not_** **and** ** _will not_** **turn into a SarahxJareth pairing... So, sorry to all the Sarah and Jareth people, I love that pairing too, but its an OC centric story. :/**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth.**

 **Chapter 2: The New Runner.**

Shouldering her messenger bag up higher, the woman heavily sighed as she shoved open the doors to the high school. Darkness had fallen over the grounds, and she internally groaned. Walking along in the dark was on the list of things that she greatly disliked, yet another quirk of the former runner of the Labyrinth. The only way to make the situation worse would have been to throw her into a narrow space.

Thankfully, the parking lot remained wide open, with very few cars left. No, she would not have to worry about flashbacks to oubliettes and dark tunnels and running for her life from murderous cleaners. Just a short walk to her car, and then she could head straight home to her husband of twenty-three years. A small smile rested on her face, and she hurried her pace to get to her vehicle. Jeremy was no dark and mysterious king, but the defense lawyer was far from boring.

And she loved him. She did not need anything more.

Unfortunately, fate decided to rear its head that night. Half-way to her car, an uneasy feeling coiled in her gut. Shaking off the feeling, she continued hurrying to her old van, intent on ignoring the hairs standing up on the back of her neck. However, a familiar jolt shot up her spine, causing her to cease moving yet again. Without a doubt, Sarah knew this feeling. The same feeling she felt all those years ago, when she was nothing but a sixteen-year-old girl who believed herself a woman.

Sarah felt _magic_.

Somehow knowing the source, she shifted her bag further up her shoulder and took off, thanking her luck for wearing decent shoes that day. She angled her path away from her car and half sprinted across the deserted, dimly lit parking lot. Though more aware of the faint trail of magic than the direction she ran in, she eventually found herself making her way through the silent park across the street from her school.

Punctuated by open fields and sparse patches of trees, the park was simple yet peaceful, rarely ever crowded. She soon found herself drawn to a distant bench, nestled in amongst an alcove of trees. Scattered on the ground were books and the remnants of a sketchpad, pages torn and crumpled, discarded carelessly in the grass.

Hesitantly approaching the books, she thanked her luck that the moon shown brightly overhead, illuminating the area and allowing her the ability to see properly. Kneeling down, she shuffled through the titles, knowing them to be books for her school, and even seeing a few from her freshman English class. Though, one book in particular caught her attention, causing her heart to stop.

The dark, blood red cover stood out against the pale green grass, and her body went cold. The gold print of the title almost seemed to glow in the low light, and momentarily, she panicked, wondering how someone got a hold of the book. Then, recognition finally flowed through her mind as she registered the tattered black backpack and the well used yet destroyed sketchpad.

Alice.

Before she could dwell on it, a swirl of wind engulfed the alcove, and Sarah quickly lifted her arms to block her face. Magic spiked through the air, and her bones almost ached at the pressure. As soon as it had come, however, the pressure faded away, the air settling down, giving Sarah the ability to lower her arms from her face.

Laying across the stone bench, Sarah's student appeared to almost be sleeping. Jean clad legs stretched out casually, one arm hanging off and the other appearing to be clutching at her heart. Wearing an oversized sweater, her curves were hidden from view, and the dark grey color made her already pale skin look ashier.

Her face, though, looked peaceful and serene. A heart shaped face, still soft and rounded indicating her young age, was covered in an obscene amount of freckles across her nose and upper cheeks. Long, dark brown hair pillowed around her head, the heavy curls seeming wild and untamed, as if she had gone through a wind tunnel. Thick, full lashes fluttered slowly open, revealing pale blue eyes, the most notably striking feature of the otherwise average and mousey looking girl, yet Sarah rarely got the chance to see them. Alice usually cast them down to the ground, falling prey to her timid nature around most anyone.

The blue orbs appeared unfocused at first, simply staring up in a daze towards the clear night sky. Life slowly began to flow back into the girl, and she carefully pushed herself upright, one hand still clutched tightly to her chest. Drawing her legs up, her feet splayed on the bench while she settled her chin on her knees, her mind obviously faraway.

Sarah knew that feeling far too well.

Cautiously approaching the timid girl, Sarah quietly spoke up. "Alice?..."

Surprisingly, Alice did not even flinch: she merely clutched her hand closer to her chest. "Hey, Mrs. Sarah…"

Darting to the girl's side, Sarah knelt down beside her before urgently asking, "Alice, please tell me. Please tell me you didn't make a wish. _Tell_ me you did not."

Silence.

"Alice, did you run the Labyrinth?"

Silence.

" _Alice_."

"I made a wish." The words tumbled out almost drunkenly from the still dazed girl. "I met the Goblin King. I ran the Labyrinth to the castle beyond the Goblin City."

Sarah felt her breath catch in her throat. "Did you win?"

Alice finally pulled her hand away from her chest, opening her hand to reveal what she clutched so tightly. Resting in her flat palm, she held a single white, speckled feather. Her voice came out in a whisper as she stared at the feather as if it were the most complex puzzle in the world.

"I don't know."


	3. Slow Starts

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth.**

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 **Chapter 3: Slow Starts.**

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When Sarah had given Alice permission to browse through her collection of personal books, she had completely forgotten that the old Labyrinth book had even existed. Stupid on her part. How could she have possibly forgotten such a thing? The book practically made her what she was today.

Yet somehow, she had done just that. She had allowed the location of the book to slip from her mind, ending up amongst her extensive collection of Fae lore and finding its way onto her school bookshelf.

And, eventually, into the hands of the young girl sitting beside her.

Glancing at the girl seated in the passenger seat of her old van, Sarah noted how Alice still stared blankly out the window. Her fingers absently brushed against the speckled feather in her grasp, refusing to drop it as if it were some lifeline. The need to know exactly what had happened burned at the forefront of Sarah's mind, but she kept silent. Alice clearly was not in the frame of mind to speak on the subject.

However, after a brief conversation with the girl, Sarah surmised that leaving her alone would not be the best idea. If allowed to do so, she would likely withdraw more into herself, thus leaving Alice in an even more distraught state and Sarah never finding her answers. So, Sarah originally had every intention of escorting the girl home to her parents while securing a promise to meet the next day and talk.

"Could your parents possibly bring you to the park to talk tomorrow?" Sarah inquired cautiously. Upon seeing Alice's nervous shifting in her seat, she quickly spoke again, her words rushed and hurried. "Its just, this experience of yours, you really should talk to someone about it. And there are some things I've learned that might help you—"

A small giggle broke from the girl, who smiled with an amused glint in her eye. "Its fine, Mrs. Sarah. I…" The amusement melted from her face and a serious expression took over as she watched her hands fiddle with the feather. "I _want_ to talk about it... tomorrow would be good. It's just, well, Elaine is out of town again."

"Oh," Sarah breathed out, relieved that the girl was willing to speak on the subject. Then, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Who's Elaine?"

"Foster parent." Sarah visibly winced at the detached tone in the girl's voice. "She isn't that bad, but she's gone a lot. So, I just don't have a ride to meet up with you tomorrow."

Biting her lip as she mulled over her options. Dropping her off to be alone after such an ordeal would not be preferable in Sarah's opinion, and they needed to speak in the morning… "You could stay at my house tonight." Upon Alice's shocked face, she quickly elaborated. "My daughter left for college two years ago, but her room is still set up! She even has some clothes your size you could borrow. And my husband will leave early tomorrow for work, and it's a Saturday, so we could just talk there once he is gone…"

Hesitance flashed across the girl's face as she bit her lip. Clutching the feather tighter for a moment, she stiffly nodded her head, dropping her gaze to her lap. "Okay… okay, that would work."

Smiling brightly, Sarah turned on her blinker, aiming to make a U-turn at the next light. "Perfect! I can make us both a big breakfast in the morning! Oh, you haven't eaten yet have you? Let's pull in somewhere for food. I'm craving a burger. What about you?"

"You don't have to get me any—"

Sarah waved her off with a laugh. "Oh, its _fine_. I get paid rather well for an English teacher, so its not like buying a couple burgers would bankrupt me. Besides…" She gave a heartfelt, encouraging smile to her student. "You deserve it for having dealt with the Labyrinth."

Though silent for a minute, a small, shy smile grew on Alice's face. "I… well, I really like pickles and mustard burgers…"

"That's the spirit! Junk food and a good night's rest is just what you need after a magic overdose."

Sarah continued to chatter on, filing Alice's mind with happy nonsense and hidden, meaningful words. Words. Sarah had such a talent with words. She could hit just the right topic to make anyone feel at ease, whether it be a distraught teenage girl or her husband of twenty two years. Speaking of her husband, Sarah's mind mulled over excuses on why she had brought home a student without speaking to the girl's guardian first.

Shaking off the thought, she focused back on Alice again, drawing out her attention and enrapturing her in stories of her college days and all the weird happenstances that only she could work her way into. The girl fell at ease, content to listen with the occasional chime in to commentate on any particularly funny parts of the story.

Sarah knew this would not last. She remembered her days in the Labyrinth. The endless corridors, the seemingly near-death experiences, the fear of failing her little brother… Nightmares would on occasion plague her after the experience, and after assurances from Hoggle, she realized they were her true fears and not just some revenge prank from Jareth.

She also became quite aware of the true nature of the Labyrinth… Sarah had gotten off quite easily during her run. Her friends would briefly hint at the usual dangers runners faced during the tests, and she became painfully aware of how Jareth's favor had garnered her what essentially was the PG version of Labyrinth run. Alice, however…

As Sarah once again refocused in on Alice, neither noticed the silent owl trailing through the clear night sky above them.


	4. Alice's Wish

**_Author's Notes:_ You know, its chapters like this one that makes me intensely aware of how linked my writing is to my mood. So, apologies in advance any sassy and quirky undertones working into the chapter. I'm in a weird mood right now. **

**Lady Ravanna: Yay! Glad to have another reader who likes these type of fics! And thanks!**

 **Cotille S.: Oh, thank you! And yeah, I love the name. I had intended to use it in another story, but since the muse for that story died, I decided not to waste the name. :D**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth.**

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 **Chapter 4: Alice's Wish.**

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In Sarah's opinion, her husband took the situation with Alice rather well.

Of course, this was after the long spiel about how the girl is a minor and this is technically illegal, etc., etc… You know, the normal things a lawyer would worry about. Sarah found herself quite brilliantly crafting an excuse that did not include any lies: just some huge omissions.

The truth of the situation being that Alice had been confronted and harassed by some classmates, and Sarah found her distraught in the park near the school. Not wanting the girl to be alone, she offered to drive Alice home only to soon discover that the girl's foster mother is currently out of town. So, Sarah made the executive decision to offer the girl to stay with them for the night, and in the morning, she would talk to Alice about the details of what her classmates did.

The omission of course included thirteen hours of running around and avoiding dangerous traps in a Fae Realm Labyrinth while being harassed by a Goblin King who wore criminally tight pants and _glitter_. Lots of glitter.

Yep. Not lying. Definitely taking stretching the truth to a new level, but not lying.

Thankfully, Alice remained very quiet about the situation while she spoke with her husband. Sarah could easily tell that while she excelled with words, Alice feared them. Her shy nature made her nervous speaking to others, and she could only assume the young girl spoke to her at all due to their shared understanding of the Labyrinth. When her husband, Jeremy, spoke to Alice, all he could get from the girl were vague head nods and shakes while she shuffled her feet and shrugged, refusing to meet the older man's eyes.

Now, having settled down Jeremy's concerns, Sarah stood outside her daughter's old room waiting for Alice to finish changing into the spare pajamas she had rummaged from the room's dresser. With a deep sigh, she began to mull over the current situation, trying to think over how she would brooch the subject come morning…

"Mrs. Sarah!" Her name came in a worried whisper, breaking the woman from her thoughts. " _Mrs. Sarah!_ "

Dashing into the room, she found Alice, clad in short blue shorts and an oversized t-shirt emblazoned with some band Sarah had no hope of recognizing, sitting on the far end of her daughter's bed, pressed into the headboard. Spine stiff and legs held tightly to her chest, the girl stared with panicked eyes at the little creature, who sat perched on the footboard of the bed, watching Alice with curious eyes. All Alice did was draw her clenched fists closer to her chest, likely still gripping that feather, Sarah mused.

"Am I crazy or is that a goblin?..." the girl whispered, not budging an inch from her spot far away from said goblin.

"No, you're not crazy," Sarah stated, leaning against the doorframe with an amused twinkle in her eyes. "And the fact that you can see him proves that I haven't just been going mad over the past thirty years."

Alice just numbly nodded her head. "Okay…" Taking a deep breath, she moved her eyes from the creature to her teacher. "So… what you just said means that no one else can see them but us, right?"

"Yep." Moving into the room, she shooed the little goblin off the bed before sitting herself down on it. "Don't worry though: the little buggers are harmless. Just a tad bit mischievous. They respond well to snacks, though."

Alice unpressed herself from the headboard, staring curiously at the little creature still watching at her from his new position sitting on the ground. "Hello?..." she began hesitantly. "What's your name?"

The goblin blinked, seeming a bit shocked at the girl's question. Then, puffing out his chest, he proudly declared in his garbled speech, "Me name's Kip!" She smiled brightly at him, and he gave her a toothy grin in response. Then, he looked confused, glancing between Sarah and Alice. "Nice lady knows the girl who ate the peach and remembered everything?"

"That name is getting old," Sarah quipped with a sigh.

Giggling, Alice nodded her head. "Yep! Mrs. Sarah is my English teacher."

Kip nodded as if that explained everything, though she highly doubted that he grasped what an English teacher actually did. Then, in a matter of fact voice, he stated, "That good. Sarah-lady can help the girl who wished herself away!"

Alice tensed, hands clutching tighter around the feather, and Sarah's eyes went wide with shock. Turning to her student, she began to speak, but Alice interrupted. "Could I please go to bed now?"

Sarah wanted to press on, to question the girl, but the whispered words and the sad look in Alice's eyes stopped her. "Okay… we can talk in the morning if you are up to it." Alice nodded her head quickly as she slipped under the sheets. Sighing, Sarah rose to stand, heading over to the window to draw the curtains shut before leaving the room with Kip in tow.

Unknowingly, she had closed the curtains on the guardian owl, who watched with his unusual two-toned eyes.


	5. Sarah's Friends

**_Author's Notes:_ I am so sorry this took so long to update. Between my school work and my other story, this one was sadly put on the wayside. Once finals are over, however, I can dedicate the proper amount of time to it! **

**Also, I recently was able to trade a bunch of old items for commissions, so expect some Alice artwork on my profile soon! And, if the site actually fixes my image uploader, hopefully a cover pic soon...**

 ** _Annibale:_ Hopefully I do not disappoint~ I have so many plans for this. ^^;**

 ** _Lady Ravanna:_ Next chapter, I promise! And I hope to have that up this weekend so it won't have to wait till after finals. **

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**Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth.**

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 **Chapter 5: Sarah's Friends.**

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Sarah could not sit still.

A night of worrying and thinking had left her with little sleep, and the moment her husband woke up to get ready for work at the office, she knew that sleep would elude her that night. So, rather than follow her usual routine of sleeping in on the weekend, she got up after her husband entered the shower and headed downstairs. He later entered the kitchen and watched his wife with unbridled shock as she fluttered about the kitchen, muttering to herself about goblins as she cooked a nonsensical amount of food.

The goblin muttering did not surprise him: she read so many fantasy stories and studied so much about the 'Fae World' that he had grown used to it long ago. But her early morning energy surprised him, having known her to be the type to sleep in till the last possible second during the work week, barely making it to her classes on time, and on the weekends, nothing short of a disaster could move her from bed before at least 10 o' clock.

Yet here she was, searching cupboards and cooking food at six in the morning, a large mug of coffee in one hand and a full near full pot resting in the coffee machine.

Which was an even bigger shock due to him rarely ever give up her tea for any other form of caffeine.

After her assurances that she was 'fine' and that she merely had 'too many story ideas bouncing around in her head,' her husband reluctantly left after having her promise to call if she needed anything. So, Sarah found herself alone in the kitchen, surrounded by mountains of food, before she worked up the nerve to call.

Not her husband, though. No, she was calling some old friends in hopes that they could lend her advice on her current houseguest.

Standing in front of the floor length mirror she had insisted upon in the front foyer, Sarah called out, "Hoggle, are you there? I _really_ need to talk to you."

Though the response came slower than usual, a familiar, grumpy looking face appeared in the mirror. "Sarah, you have some bad timing. Things are a mess over here."

"This wouldn't have to do with a girl running the Labyrinth last night, would it?"

His eyes widened in shock. "What exactly do you know about the runner?"

"Only that she is one of my students, very shy, near obsessed with learning about Fae, and one of the goblins called her 'the-girl-who-wished-herself-away.'" She paused as Hoggle's eyes somehow managed to widen even further, before adding, "Also, she is asleep upstairs in my daughter's room."

"I will get Sir Didymus and Ludo and be back as soon as possible."

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Ten minutes and the passing around of Sarah's copious amount of breakfast foods later, Hoggle demanded, "How do you manage to get yourself dragged into these messes?"

Sarah groaned, running a hand through her hair while the other used her fork to poke at some scrambled eggs. "Its my fault, really. I accidentally brought the Labyrinth book to school."

"You did _what_?!"

"Hoggle!" Sir Didymus cried out. "That is no way to speak to a lady!"

"She ain't a lady, she's Sarah."

Ignoring the grumpy dwarf, the fox knight politely spoke to Sarah. "My Lady, forgive my comrade's lack of manners. Do continue!"

Smirking at the familiar antics, she continued. "Well, it must have gotten mixed up in all of my Fae lore books. Alice, my student, had been very interested in the lore, so I had already told her to take books whenever she wanted, just to return them when she finished. Normally, she finished the books in a day or two."

Sighing, she slumped down into her chair. "Then, last night, I was leaving school for the evening and felt a pulse of magic. I acted before thinking, running out to the source and just moments later, Alice appears out of nowhere."

Hoggle scrunched his brows together. "Did she have dark hair like yours and a whole bunch of speckles on her face?"

"They are called freckles, and yes."

Ludo seemed to light up at this, pausing in his devouring of the stacks of food in front of him. "Ludo remember girl! Human girl have Fae eyes." He smiled and added, "Girl sweet like Sarah. No take help like Sarah, though."

Hoggle huffed. "She refused help from me too."

"As did she from me," Sir Didymus chimed in. "I tried insisting, but the lady purposefully lost me. She insisted upon no help for fear of the Goblin King's retribution."

Sarah frowned. "Well, that makes me feel bad for accepting your help."

"Sarah," Hoggle began with a sigh to his voice. "You _know_ that Jareth favored you. That's why he tolerated our help and gave you such an easy run. Also, this girl seemed to know a lot more about Fae than a normal runner, making her far more prepared for this than you. She knew that accepting help had the possibility of making the maze even harder than it already was."

She went quiet at this, inwardly contemplating things as she sipped on her mug of coffee. Then, she softly stated, "I asked her if she won."

They perked up at this. "Surely she came out victorious if she returned to the Aboveground," Sir Didymus declared. "Afterall, she had wished herself away, did she not?"

Hoggle harrumphed. "Yeah, for a girl who knows so much about Fae, that had been a stupid decision on her part. And of course she won."

"She told me she did not know."

They all tensed, panic setting in their eyes at the implications. Why would the girl be here if she had not won? She ran for her freedom: should the answer not be clear? Before they could discuss it further, however, they were interrupted by the small sound of someone clearing her throat in the doorway.

There stood Alice, who nervously fidgeted from one foot to another, all while fiddling with the hem of large shirt she wore. Her pale blue eyes were cast to the floor, and awkwardly, she stated, "I should start from the beginning."


	6. Her Fractured Psyche

**_Author's Notes:_ I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. My life has been insane for the past few months. Things are thankfully settling though. So, here is the next chapter! Finally something more from Alice's POV.**

 **Also, next chapter will introduce the Labyrinth~ Be prepared!**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth.**

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 **Chapter 6: Her Fractured Psyche.**

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Alice was enthralled.

She had never been good at interacting with others. People found her strange, and she found people intimidating. This compounded with her being shuffled around to various foster homes and never staying very long in a certain school district led to her becoming a master at playing the quiet wallflower.

Keeping decent grades and staying out of the way is what helped her stay so long at this particular school. Most foster parents would send her back after a few months, dumping her into the nearest orphanage or halfway home. They claimed that she was too… _aware_. Her quiet nature unnerved, making her like a ghost, but her eyes… the pale blue eyes simply watched the world, assessing things, judging people. She made those around her feel scrutinized, as if all there flaws and sins were laid out in the open to this simple looking, fae-eyed girl

Yet if they could truly see into her mind, they would realize that she could care less about what was wrong with them. All people were flawed in her opinion: the world around her seemed dull, boring, and she had long since given in to fantasies to drive her through the day.

That's how she learned of the Underground.

She had first read of the Underground when she was eleven, having stumbled upon the old, worn out book while looking for more detailed picture references of fairies. Soon, she found herself entranced in the world of dwarves and elves and dragons, having gained a ravenous knowledge for the world so different and enthralling than her own.

That is the start of the split in Alice's psyche.

To the outside world, she was simply the quiet girl who spoke to no one and barely even seemed to exist. But in her mind, she took on a new form, crafting fantastic worlds and beautiful creatures, which leaked into her dull reality through sketches and the occasional painting she created during art class. She could see more with her mind than she ever could with her eyes.

Yet these beautiful fantasies were not all perfect. Perfection bored her, and the more lore she read, the more she could visualize the darker, more twisted aspects of the magical world within her mind. Not all fairy tales had happy endings, and the truest ones could be the cruelest of all. And eventually, Alice began to learn of the Fae.

On the outside, they appeared perfect, pristine, creatures meant to inspire envy and desire when a human laid eyes upon them. But the cunning beings should not be underestimated she learned as she stumbled upon tale after tale of wished away children and tricks played upon foolish mortals. In her opinion, Fae were the perfect blend of Light and Dark, of Beauty and Mischief, of Fantasy and harsh Reality.

Her fascination became a near obsession for the young woman-child. So, when she learned of her kind English teacher's extensive collection of Fae lore, she near begged just to look through it, just to read the books so she could extend the never ending reality within her head. Never did she imagine that Mrs. Sarah would simply allow her to take books as often as she wanted, unknowingly allowing the young Alice to feed her addiction.

And did she ever gorge herself. Mrs. Sarah had at least a hundred books lining the bookshelves in her room, yet Alice had already nearly read them all over the course of her freshman year. She likely would have finished them all if she did not allot time for her studies to keep a decent grade. If her grades fell, Elaine might send her away, which meant she would loose this glorious collection.

Nearing the end of the books, Alice had finally allowed herself the chance to look at the book that had been calling to her for over a year. The blood red cover looked aged, and her fingers traced over the gold lettering as she settled herself onto her bench, the one nestled away from prying eyes, hidden amongst the tall trees and foliage of the quiet park.

And with a content sigh, she opened the book and began to read.


	7. Harsh Reality

**_Author's Note:_ I don't understand why I keep neglecting this story when I love it so much. I am so sorry for the wait again, but I'm starting the next chapter tonight!**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth.**

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 **Chapter 7: Harsh Reality.**

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Alice had never truly hated reality until this night.

Crouched in the grass, she carefully scooped up the remnants of her destroyed sketchbook, holding back whimpering sobs. What had started as her minding her own business, loosing herself to the fantasy of her newest book had quickly soured. She did not understand what she had done to draw the girls' ire. Certainly she had done nothing to deserve their taunts and near physical attack.

Yet upon seeing Alice, immersed in her book and alone, they had decided her to be their next target. Words and name-calling were thrown around to which Alice maintained her composure and simply endured silently, hoping they would grow bored and leave her be. But then, one of the girl's had scooped up her bag, dumping out her books and sketchpad.

She could not stay silent anymore.

Lunging for her things, she tried to save her one true anchor to reality, the pages where she sketched and brought to life her mind's fantasies. But the girls' merely held her back while the leader mocked her, slowly and purposefully ripping out each and every work, letting the mangled pages drop uselessly onto the dew soaked grass.

Sketchpad destroyed and goal achieved, the girls' left Alice to be alone again, unknowingly having destroyed her fantasy and leaving her with nothing but harsh reality. Her heart ached as she surveyed her ruined work, and her psyche crumbled in defeat.

She did not have the heart to gather up the scattered pages or the discarded schoolbooks. Trudging back to the cold stone bench, she sat for what felt like ages, staring at the old red leather book she had weakly pulled into her lap. The gold lettering shined slightly in the moonlight, calling to her, but she did not have the drive to finish the story. Fantasy had abandoned the girl.

But the story still rolled about in her head. The Labyrinth. The runners. The Goblin King.

The wish.

"I wish the Goblin King would take me away."

Suddenly, a jolt shot down the young girl's spine. Leaping up, the book fell from her lap to grassy ground as she spun around, trying to locate the source of the strange energy. But soon, all she could see was smoke enveloping her, spiraling around and glimmering as the ground gave way beneath her.

Before she could even think to scream, Alice collapsed back onto the ground. She groaned from shock, rolling over onto her back as she stared up at the bright sky.

Wait.

Wasn't it night?

"Well now." The voice startled her from her inner musings, and she shot upright, looking around wildly until she finally laid eyes on him. "This certainly is a unique situation."

Leaning casually against the tree, Alice could immediately tell this was no ordinary man. Between the outlandish outfit of all black, complete with a cape, as well as his near ethereal face, she knew that he had to be Fae. And between her wish and the crystal sphere that danced within his fingertips, she had a strong guess on who this Fae was.

"You're the Goblin King, aren't you?"

He never took his eyes off of the crystal as he spoke. "Well, aren't you the master of the obvious?"

As her heart plummeted to her stomach, all Alice could think to say was, "Oh shit…"


	8. First Impressions

**Author's Note: Okay, really sorry, but this chapter is short too. But plus side: its from Jareth's POV~ I want to try and not switch POVs in chapters, so these past two ended up kind of short. But two chapters in one week is a good sign from me. XD**

 **My internet keeps crapping out so I will respond to reviews in the next one,but basically, y'all are all amazing, and I'm starting to fall back in love with this story. So, expect a lot more frequent updates!**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth.**

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 **Chapter 8: First Impressions.**

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Jareth did not know what to make of this girl.

Despite her average looking appearance, she managed to spike his curiosity. The moment he heard her wish, he had to stop and process her words. Hundreds of years reigning over the Labyrinth, thousands of wishes made and runners tried, yet never had someone wished themselves away. Brothers, sisters, children, but never themselves.

Yet this young, unassuming girl did just that. And upon seeing her laying in the dirt before him, he found himself a little disappointed. She seemed so… normal. Her mousy appearance with wild brown hair pillowed behind her head, her face still holding some roundness from her obvious youth.

Ignoring her looks, however, the moment her eyes opened, he had to school his surprise. Pale blue eyes that looked like the held the sky stared back at him. Had he not know better, he would have thought them Fae eyes, reminding him of the most envied color of his kin. But this girl held not a drop of Fae blood in her, with no magic surrounding her sans the few wisps remaining from her trip to his realm.

A smirk crawled onto his lips as she swore, and he watched in amusement as she scrambled up to stand. Her cheeks darkened to red behind her copious amounts of freckles. "Sorry," she mumbled under her breath, looking towards the ground as fiddled with the sleeves of her sweater.

Finally pushing off the tree, he casually rolled the crystal along his hand while slowly approaching her, his smirk never faltering. "Am I correct to assume that you know where you are?"

"The Labyrinth," she stated, finally allowing her eyes to meet his. She looked as if she was about to say something, but upon meeting his gaze, she froze. Her mouth opened into a little 'O' shape, her head tilting to the side a bit. "Your eyes… they are two different colors." Seeming to realize what she had just asked, she suddenly ducked her head down in a sort of bow. "I'm sorry, your Highness! I just, well… I apologize for being so informal."

He could not help himself, letting out a low, almost sinful chuckle. This girl. She amused him. He could only imagine why. Tossing the crystal into the air to disappear, he decided to ignore her flustered ramblings and get down to business. "So, what to do with the girl who wished herself away?"

"I am so sorry for inconveniencing you," she began hesitantly, lifting her head back up. "I should have not been so loose with my words. I know the risks more than most, and well… you could say I lost my head for a moment."

Internally, he sighed, predicting what would happen next. "So, I presume you now want me to simply send you back?"

Her Fae-like eyes blinked, before she rapidly shook her head no, sending her frizzy brown hair to spill about her shoulders. "Oh, no. I understand the rules of the realm. I just want permission to enter the Labyrinth."

Jareth's two-toned eyes widened. "I beg your pardon?"

"Sir, I wish to be a runner."


	9. It Begins

**Author's Note: Life is insane.**

 **But I love this OC so this story shall live. Sorry for the wait!**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth.**

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 **Chapter 9: It Begins.**

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She felt as if she were an insect under a microscope, immensely insignificant and small, yet being examined as if she were something mysterious and fascinating. Her shoulders hunched inwards the longer she stood under his scrutiny, feeling tinier and tinier by the moment. Ducking her head, she shuffled her feet, wishing he would say something, do _something_.

His two toned eyes never wavered, but eventually his lips quirked. "Well, well. This is certainly turning into an interesting day." Striding forward to the mouse of a girl, he slipped a finger under her chin to lift her gaze to his own. "Why do you wish to run?"

Her brows scrunched together in confusion. "Why wouldn't I?"

He released her chin, flicking his wrist to reveal a perfect crystal sphere balanced perfectly between his fingers. "I could grant you a wish, your greatest desires…" Magic began to swirl in the sphere, showing glittering smoke of a kaleidoscope of colors. But after a few moments of nothing happening, Jareth began to frown, staring at the sphere in frustration. "What is happening? Why won't your desires show…"

Then, a tiny, musical laugh broke him from his staring contest with his sphere. The mouse of a girl held a quiet laugh, but it flowed like crystal waters over his ears. A soft smile, one which suited her face rested on her lips, and paired with her pale blue eyes, he somehow believed it to make her look even more Fae like. Though he was growing to suspect that she did not carry an ounce of malicious intent in her small frame, unlike normal Fae.

"Sorry, sir," she replied warmly, eyes twinkling in delight. "But you cannot offer me my desires if you have already given them to me."

"Oh?" Throwing the sphere in the air with a flick of the wrist, he stared at her curiously. "I have granted you no wish: pray tell, what was this desire I supposedly fulfilled?"

Her gaze fell to the ground again, though he could still see the edges of her soft smile on her freckled face. "Look around you, sir." She lifted her gaze only to glance around, holding her arms out. "All this fantasy and wonder, things I only dreamed of and read about in fairytales."

She spun with her arms outstretched, tilting her head back and letting her musical laughter flow out again, only brighter and more carefree.

"You proved my imagination true, Goblin King," she continued, finally halting her spinning to lock eyes with him, the first bit of true confidence he had seen from her. "How can I ask for more than this?"

He could not help the slow smile in return, amused at the woman child. She had already proved herself more mature than Sarah had been during her run in the Labyrinth, but this girl still seemed to have some childlike innocence left.

He began to stride towards her, gesturing as he spoke. "If this fantasy, the Underground, is what you have desired, what you dreamed of…" Stopping just in front of her, he leaned down to eye level with the shorter girl. "Why do you wish to leave?"

"Because I don't belong here." Her answer was firm, stated as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "And if I were to stay here, well then, wouldn't fantasy become my new normal?" Shaking her head, she ended with a strong declaration. "I would rather leave with my memories of this place. So, Goblin King, I wish to run the Labyrinth."

A long sigh escaped his lips. "Pity. You seemed interesting. I could have made you a Fae in my court." Stepping back, he began walking down the hill, gesturing for her to follow, which she did, her short legs struggling to keep up with his long and easy strides. "You shall have 13 hours to navigate my Labyrinth and reach the castle at the Labyrinth's heart. Achieve this, and you shall have your freedom."

With a flick of the wrist, what appeared to be a Coo-coo clock appeared from thin air. He halted abruptly and spun to the girl, causing her to skid to a stop. "Know this, girl. I have been kind to you thus far, but from the moment this clock starts, the kindness shall be forgotten. You shall be my enemy, and I will not hold back due to you being a child."

Her face stayed locked on the ground, her hands clasped tightly together in front of her. "I am not a fool, Goblin King," she replied quietly, slowly lifting her gaze to meet his. "I know enough to understand what's at stake, and to know what I will be facing." With a shaky smile, her head tilting slightly, she declared with as much gusto as she could muster, "I hope to prove you a worthy opponent!"

A sinister smirk appeared on his face, and as he began to chuckle darkly, all of her courage she had mustered quickly fell from her face. "Very well. You have 13 hours girl." The clock hands came to life, and with a dramatic flick of his cape, the Fae disappeared in a swirl of smoke, his voice fading into the air. "Hurry to the castle, girl."

And as he disappeared, Alice collapsed to her knees, dread filling her stomach at what faced her in the Labyrinth below.

"What the hell kind of rabbit hole did you fall into..."


	10. By Fae Law

**Author's Note: I finally got Image Manager to work, Halle-freaking-Lujah. I've had this cover art for forever, Thank God I can finally use it.**

 **I'm-a-Klaus-addict: Aww, you're welcome!**

 **Cotille S: Thank you so much! I'm glad Alice is coming across well: I love her character so much.**

 **LOLIcons10121: One update, coming right up~**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth.**

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 **Chapter 10: By Fae Law.**

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"And then what happened?"

Alice shrugged lightly, her shoulders hunching together as she leaned forward with her elbows planted on the counter. Her eyes focused in on the coffee mug between her hands, her feet swinging lightly above the ground on the kitchen barstool.

"Ran the Labyrinth, met some citizens of the Underground, including these three." She said the last part while gesturing towards Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus. "And then, well, I'm back!" The last part was said with a rather unconvincing grin towards the group, and Alice began to fiddle with her coffee before taking a large gulp of it.

"I think you missed a bit of the story," Sir Didymus began.

"Yeah, like the entire middle and ending," Hoggle quipped sharply.

Lightly smacking her friend on the back of the head, Sarah frowned at him. "Hoggle, be nice. She doesn't have to give details if she is not comfortable." Turning away from the grumbling dwarf, Sarah gave the young girl a sad smile. "However, we do need some questions answered."

"Oh?" Alice asked, trying to appear innocent and naïve while taking another huge gulp of coffee. Sarah vaguely thought about how allowing the girl to drink so much of the caffeinated beverage might have been a bad idea, given the slightly jittery nature that seemed to worsen the more she drank, but Sarah also knew it was a bit late to regret this.

Deciding to be blunt, Sarah asked, "Earlier you said you weren't sure if you won or not." Alice dropped her gaze, and Sarah knew that some prodding was going to be needed. "What exactly did you mean by that?"

Biting her lip, Alice fiddled with the hem of her shirt as she seemed to search for the right words to say. But before she could speak, another voice cut in.

"I believe I can better explain things."

Everyone freaked. Hoggle began to choke on his breakfast, Ludo shrieked and ducked down behind the counter, Sir Didymus began to shout about preparing to battle, and Sarah brandished an empty frying pan as if it were a weapon. Alice, however, shocked them all as she shouted, "You again?! What in the actual fuck does it take to get your leather clad ass to glitter poof far the hell away from me?!"

All the others froze and slowly turned their gazes to stare at the usually silent and polite girl who had just sworn like a sailor. She stared angrily at the smirking intruder in leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, only for the anger to melt away as she processed her words. With a yelp, she slapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide with shock as she muttered through her fingers something along the lines of, "Not again."

The intruder merely grinned at the girl who sat mortified over her outburst. "It seems that even in the human world you have a sharp tongue that you cannot control."

She dropped her hands from her face into her lap, turning to stare sullenly at her breakfast. "Its only around you that I get this angry."

"Glad to see that I spark a reaction from you."

"What do you want, Jareth?" Sarah demanded, still holding the frying pan. "You have no power over us, especially here."

"Now, you see Sarah, that's where you are wrong." Everyone tensed as he strode forward, looking over the expansive display of food before picking up an apple. "While its true I have no power over _you_ …" He began tossing the apple up and down in the air as he walked around to where Alice stood, catching the apple while draping an arm across her shoulders. " _She_ , however, is another situation, however." Extending his arm across the counter to Sarah, he held out the apple. Or what had _once_ been an apple. "Would you like a _peach_ , my dear?"

Sarah slapped the offending fruit from his hand, which promptly turned back into an apple and bounced harmlessly on the floor. "I don't know what kind of game you are playing, but get the hell away from her. You have no power over me, and you have no power over her, you egotistical—"

"Ah, ah! No need for swearing: besides, Alice here seems more than capable of doing so for the lot of us." At this point, he drops the smile while removing his arm from Alice's shoulders, looking more serious. "We do, however, have a problem on our hands."

"Stop taunting us and explain it then!" Hoggle snapped.

"Watch your tone, Hogwash."

"Its Hoggle, you miserable—"

" _Please!_ " Once again the center of attention, Alice clutched her arms across her chest as she spoke. "Goblin King, please, just _explain_ , because I don't even remember it all."

His gaze softened at this. "The last moments were rather… _chaotic_." With a sigh, he began. "Alice beat the Labyrinth fair and square, even with the usual level of difficulty set for her run. She made it to the center of the castle. Only… something happened." He glanced at her, looking for a flicker of recognition in her eyes, but found none, so he continued. "Long story short, she beat the Labyrinth, earned her wish of returning to this realm, only to give me her name."

Gasps could be heard around the table, even from Sarah who knew the consequences of Alice's actions. Alice's eyes went wide as she stared at him in shock. "What do you mean I gave it to you? Why would I do that?"

"I do not know. All I know is this: you gave me your name. And by Fae law, for all intents and purposes…" he glanced at her, his two toned eyes surprisingly apologetic. "You belong to me now."


End file.
